Page 30 of Tides of Change
I stared at the text, and my pulse thudded in my ears. He’d reached out. He wanted to see me. The warmth of his words curled around me and quieted the storm.
My thumbs hovered over the phone’s keyboard as I typed, then deleted, then typed again. I wanted to say yes immediately, but I didn’t want to seem too eager. Finally, I settled on:
Pizza and Disney were our pleasure.
I paused, and my heart pounded. Was this the moment to take a leap? The decision felt monumental, like standing on the edge of a cliff, staring into the unknown. My pulse quickened as I typed my next message.
I’m free on Friday evening. Noah’s spending the night with my sister.
The response came almost instantly.
Building blanket forts?
I chuckled, the tension in my chest easing. Of course, he remembered Noah’s words about Harper and their fort-building escapades. That minor detail told me he’d been paying attention to my son, and as a single dad, that warmed me to my core.
Exactly. What should I bring?
Yourself.
My lips curved into a smile that I couldn’t suppress, the kind that made my cheeks ache.
7 okay?
That would give me enough time to pick up Noah from after-school care, drop him off at Harper’s, and shower off the workday.
See you then.
I glanced around the station and my fingers tightened around my phone as Ethan’s invitation lingered on the screen. A slow, goofy grin spread across my face before I could stop it. Dinner at Ethan’s.
If anyone noticed the stupid look on my face, they might ask questions. Questions I wasn’t ready to answer.
A quick scan of the room confirmed that no one was watching me too closely, but the weight of what I was doing settled in my chest. I shouldn’t be this excited. Heck, I shouldn’t even be considering it. This was a bad idea. A really bad idea. Ethan was part of an active investigation, one I led. If Sarge got wind that I was spending time—alone—with the very man I was supposed to be protecting, it would raise red flags.
But darn it, I wanted to see Ethan. Wanted to sit across from him at the dinner table and pretend—just for a little while—that this wasn’t complicated. That there weren’t risks. That I wasn’t walking a razor’s edge between what I should do and what Iwantedto do.
I told myself I’d keep it casual.
But I already knew I was lying.
I locked Ethan’s door behind me and toed off my Chucks. The soft thud echoed in the cozy entryway. The comfy house seeped into me like a welcome hug. The savory, spicy scent of herbs and garlic teased my senses and made my stomach growl loudly enough to fill the silence. “Mm, something smells good.”
Ethan chuckled at my grumbling stomach, the sound rich and low. “I hope you like veggie lasagna. I made it with the ingredients I bought at the farmers’ market.”
His brown eyes caught the golden glow of the living room lamps and danced with something that looked an awful lot like happiness—or maybe anticipation. The sight stirred something deep in my chest.
“Love it.” I grinned. “And I’ll bet yours is better than the frozen stuff I buy from the grocery store.”
Ethan reared back, and mock offense scrunched up his face. “I should hope so.”
I couldn’t stop the laugh that escaped me. It felt good. Natural. “I’m sure it is.” I held up the six-pack of Barnacle Brews pilsner I’d brought. “I know you said I shouldn’t bring anything, but I couldn’t arrive empty-handed.”
Ethan smiled, and a flicker of warmth passed between us. “It’s perfect. Bring it into the kitchen. I don’t think the house came furnished with beer glasses, so we’ll have to chug it from the bottle.”
He led the way, his movements unhurried and relaxed. I followed him through the living room into the kitchen, full of delicious aromas and heat from the oven.
I set the beer on the table, shrugged out of my light jacket, and draped it over the back of a chair. I rolled up the sleeves of my button-down, which I’d paired with jeans. I’d debated what to wear—this evening felt almost like a date.
I was relieved to see he’d had the same idea. His crisp shirt fell perfectly from his broad shoulders, wrapped around toned biceps, and tucked neatly into the waistband of his jeans, which rested low on narrow hips.
